Biographies Books

What a great read! Awe Inspiring, Alaskan all the way. Does not get more raw than that! I grew up in the bush hearing tales of the good old days. This is a story worth every word.

I spent time in the village of Huslia and actually taught in the school Jimmy started there. I met Jimmy's brother Sidney, who also wrote an awesome book, SHADOWS ON THE KOYUKUK. This is a beautiful, but harsh country where survival was not a given. This is a marvelous book..... unforgetable........ a must-read for a lover of adventure and the wilderness!

Recently, I have been fascinated by Alaska and the people that inhabit(ed) its interior. The life of Jim Huntington is to be admired by everyone. This book was a fast read and a real page turner. It is more adventurous than many fictional tails I have read. Excellent and should be read by everyone.

I think I bought the last eight copies, so please order more, Amazon. I teach high school in the Alaskan bush, and it is extremely difficult to find books that my non-readers enjoy reading that also have academic value. This book, and "Shadows on the Koyukuk" by Sidney Huntington, Jimmy's brother, have given my students insight into the transition between traditional Native culture and current native culture with its White influence and inclusion. My copies are going into the Alaska History tub of materials from our district resource center, to be shared by the other schools in our district. We will need more copies.

Jimmy Huntington wrote the best read I have seen in awhile--not too flowery, just basic truth. I loved it!!! Bonnie

Don't look at this with the eye of a photo critic or you may miss the magic. This is an intimate glimpse into the life of Sammy, his family, friends, and acquaintances as only someone "on the inside" can capture.

A wonderful book!

an amazing collection of photos that serve as a historical and entertaining view of the times he lived through.

This book is so fun. It has so many candid great photo's, really intresting history on Sammy Davis Jr. and his relationship's. I really enjoyed this book. Great coffee table book.

I originally picked up this book as a curiosity and found its links to a bygone era utterly fascinating. The subject matter, i.e., rat pack photos were wonderful but the photographic mastery of Davis Jr. is, I think, equally as stunning. A look into Davis Jr.'s remarkable life is given by him in the way, like other great photographers, he insightfully choses to document and communicate with his subjects through the lens. Again, like many great photographers, the images are powerful and soft, crisp and dazzling. More talent revealed from a man who had more in his baby finger than most of us have coursing through our entire bodies.
Bravo. Well done.

Few have personified the phrase "self-made man" as did legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990). The world remembers Davis for his varied and extraordinary accomplishments as an actor, singer, musician, dancer, and comedian.

But hardly anyone outside his circle of friends and family has been familiar with his photography--until now. With this hefty book, interspersed with reminisces by longtime friend Burt Boyar (who co-wrote Davis's autobiographies Yes I Can and Why Me?), his old fans and a new generation can revel in hundreds of images that reveal yet another significant facet of Davis's far-reaching talents.

Though Photo lacks the singular thematic focus of books published by such photographer-celebrities as Dennis Hopper and Gerry Spence, that's no drawback for this posthumously published volume. Rather, it pulls the reader into the exciting world of nightclubs, casinos, and Beverly Hills homes in which Davis moved, mostly from the late 1940s through early '70s. A voracious shutterbug, he took his photography seriously: his compositions are strikingly iconic, employing sophisticated use of line and form. Yet, his pictures are mostly snapshots--in the best sense of the word: they capture their subjects spontaneously, and his joie de vivre suffuses his work. Think of it as a highly stylized family album packed with candid portraits of "Rat Pack" pals Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine, as well as other famous friends like Nat "King" Cole, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Sidney Poitier, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, and Bill Cosby.

Among the more touching aspects of this book are the portraits of his actual family: his parents, his second wife May Britt and their children, and his third wife (and widow) Altovise Gore Davis. The most poignant are the many shots of actress Kim Novak, the first great love of Davis's life, who was forced by Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn to break off their relationship (interracial relationships were strictly taboo in 1950s Hollywood, not to mention in society generally).

One photograph, despite its matter-of-fact framing, is particularly chilling. Through the window of a passenger train en route to Miami, Davis snapped a picture of an elderly white gentleman on a station platform holding a cigarette, standing before a pair of double doors over which the foreboding phrase "WHITE WAITING ROOM" is painted. Davis's photographic abilities and inclinations were such that we see a mostly glamorous world through his eye. Thus, when we arrive at this jarring image, it's impossible not to apprehend it from his point-of-view--and also not to feel the sense of injustice that he must have experienced in the Jim Crow South as he clicked the shutter.

As Davis's show business career took off, many venues--even north of the Mason-Dixon Line--were happy to let blacks perform onstage; but the same headliner artists weren't even permitted to drink at the bar, use a dressing room, or occupy one of their hotel rooms. Photographs from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, and portraits of politician friends Senator Robert Kennedy and President Richard Nixon, give silent witness to Davis's largely forgotten achievements as an outspoken civil rights advocate.

Photo is a coffee-table book that won't spend much time on the coffee table if your houseguests are anything like mine. Because of a car crash in 1954, Sammy Davis, Jr., was left with only one eye. But what an eye this cat had!

What a great book!!!! It is a great testimony of faith.
Once you get started you will not stop reading it. It is a powerful story, very well written, by William Hennessey. I just want to say congratulations for this great book to the author.

As a Christian I would like to strongly recommend this book as a testimony of faith and courage.

The testimony of Mr. Praimnath touched me deeply. It demonstrates how in the middle of such tragedy the power of our God acts beyond our comprehension, and how Mr. Praimnath's miracle is still touching so many lives afterwards. Once you start reading you won't stop until you finish it!

How can you classify an escape from the World Trade Center any other way than terrific yet terrifying? That's what Plucked from the Fire was. Fortunately it has a happy ending for Stanley Praimnath, a man who has given of his time and resources to share his experiences. I was blessed by reading this book and I think that you will be too.

This is a fine and inspirational account of a man who relied on God in his time of need. I would say that people who are struggling with their faith in God should read this book. Each chapter has scriptural references which relate very well to the chapter and Stanley Praimnath's experiences. It will help the reader understand God's grace and love, as well as improve his or her knowledge of the Bible. Mr. Praimnath has put his faith into action after the World Trade Center disaster as well, and his accounts after that infamous day are no less fascinating than what occurred in the WTC on 9/11.

I worked with this HOLY? gentlemen for a number of years. This is like melting down the steel of the towers and selling it for profit. Yes he may have been rescued by Brian Clark but according to Clarks' account, he found Hemraj Praimnath under his desk in the fetal position crying like a baby. I feel sorry for all the real victims that lost their lives on the dreadful day.

This is an incredible, thought-provoking true-story of a young woman who has watched her mother die from cancer and then tests positive for a gene mutation that makes her nearly 90% likely to get cancer herself. What would you do if you had that knowledge?

Author Jessica Queller eloquently takes us with us on her journey. Despite the heavy material, this book is an easy read - I read it in 2 days - because her writing is clear and the story is so engaging.... You want to know Jessica and are rooting for her all the way.

This book is for EVERY WOMAN - not just those with BRCA mutations or with cancer in their family. It is for anyone who believes that true stories often make the best books, and are drawn to the extraordinary stories of 'ordinary' people.

I read this book in one day. It's a great read. Jessica really makes you think about your options. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and the BRCA test has always been in the back of my mind. It's definitely something that needs more discussing.

I am faced with the same genetic predisposition to breast cancer and it was a life-saver to read about another person's triumph.

The author explained her gene risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer in an emotional informative way. I purchased the book because my daughter, twin sister and myself had just been tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation. Our test results are that we all have a "variant" that is the same so it is genetic but it is a variant that the lab has never seen in the whole world thus it is "uncertain" what it means other than it is genetically being passed in our family. Reading this book helped me understand gene mutations. The author truly is "beautiful" inside and out.
Joan Reams

This book is a must for anyone with the BRCA mutation or anyone who wants to understand a woman's journey after she finds out she has a BRCA mutation. It is brutally honest and therefore, absolutely compelling. As one who has walked this path, I can tell you that Jessica is very brave to lay it all out there for others to benefit from. I wish her health and happiness.

I think anyone who has lost a child should read this book! It really helped myself and many friends and family members through our own tragic loss. It was recommended to me and I recommend it to anyone who has had to go through this pain.

This book was first given to me at a funeral home YES... a funeral home not just any funeral home it was the funeral home where my mother in law laid to rest after a year long struggle with cancer. I felt hopeless asking myself how would I'd be able to support my husband when I indeed was a mess myself. I took the book and did not loose sight of it waited 5 months after her death to finally open it and read it. The best thing I could have done to find the answer to grievence and acceptance. I cried every night as I read it and since then have passed it one to others who find themselves lost of answers when a loved one crosses over...

I bought this book for my wife, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's a year ago. Too often, as Americans, we seem to want to move on past the loss of a loved one quickly. We've learned over the years that grief lasts for a long time. The book is loving and healing for this process.

This book is the tender, bittersweat story of a grieving mother working through her sorrow after losing her teenage son. As I read it, tears flowed down my cheeks as I found I could relate to the many emotions the author experienced. With every heartbreak, she looks for and finally discovers a "rose" - a person, a gesture, a memoery which gives her a sense of peace, and meaning and strength to carry on with life.

I was given this book just after we lost our 22 year old son. It was one of two that helped me the most. It tells you to keep looking for the roses through all that you are having to endure.
"God is continually keeping His promise by providing roses, sometimes with actual flowers, sometimes through friends, and often in the form of memories as a reminder He is caring for me, and when I hurt, He hurts."
The book is about the many kinds of "roses" that God sends us. I now send it to those parents that lose children, no matter the age or circumstance; but I have also sent it to those that have lost a spouse. It is a wonderful "rose" for anyone grieving a loss.

For those who know of Roy Buchanan...he's not as well known to the general public...this book documents the upbringing and influences that guided and shaped one of the most talented and unique guitarists ever. A wonderfully researched chronicle of the life of an icon in music.

I've always wondered why Roy Buchanan, who in my opinion was the world's greatest guitar player, never broke through to a larger audience. After reading this excellent biography of his life, I completely understand why. Phil Carson did an outstanding job of pulling together a huge amount of detail into a page-turning, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and other times heart-wrenching story of Roy's life. I've read quite a few biographies on music legends and the majority of them have been hard to read chronologies of factoids and interviews loosely held together. So, even though I was very motivated to learn more about the life of this unsung guitar master, I assumed that I was in for a chore. Much to my surprise, this was an outstanding read...a well researched, heart-felt, telling of the life of a gifted, albeit troubled, man.

If you're a fan of Roy's, then order this book immediately. If you aren't familiar with Roy's music then order a couple of Roy Buchanan CD's and listen to them while you read this book.

Note to Phil Carson: I'd love to see you take on the biography of another relatively unknown guitar master, Nils Lofgren (a protégé of Roy Buchanan).

THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC..ROY WAS FANTASTIC....IF YOU ARE A FAN, YOU NEED THIS BOOK..I WILL READ IT OVER AND OVER....

All I ever wanted to know,about the man and his music.Great biografy,have read many books on other artist.If you go through Buchanan`s songs,there are many differt styles he mastered.Country,rockabilly,rock & &roll,instrumentals,pop,r & b,jazz.Saw him live once in Oslo,that was great.My friends say,play the #Telecaster# and die young,but I have to play it,have -blonde 52 reissue.Now I study bossa nova masters,like Lois Bonfa,Joao Gliberto,Jobim etc.cause I got a job with a female singer,playing spanish guitar.There are a few cuts with Roy playing acoustic and they are great.Read the book,by his concert DVD,s,and if you run short,get bored playing the beast,listen to the man.There have never been a guitar player like him,he had his own style,his style will never be duplicated.All american music styles,and Malaguena.The roadhouse king will live on forever.Arnie Buy-ROY BUCHANAN his first and SECOND ALBUM on Polydor,that is a good start.Good reading,good listning and play them over and over,and you will hear his soul.

I like Roy's first records--loud and clear, with the focus on his playing. Later on they tried to make him like Clapton, but it didn't work. I would rate Roy in the top 5 of the people I have heard. I also like Bugs Henderson, Tinsley Ellis, Wes Jeans, and Dave Hole. This book is a very good read. I saw Roy at Park West in Chicago. He did a very short set. It was hard to enjoy him with the female booze hustlers bothering me, but, he seem to be in top form. I still have my ticket, inside Roy's live Japan import.

This book was hard for me to put down. I wanted to read a chapter per day but was hopelessly drawn into the book so much so that I finished it in a couple of days.
As a player, I could identify with some of the characters. Great story about Danny Basavich. May he be around a long, long, time.
There's talk about making a movie. Let's hope that the studio isn't short-sighted and it comes true.
Hey, "Delicious," if you need background players, lemme know...

This book is probably as accurate as you will find for the life of the beginning pool player. The fact is, unless you are a "Trust Fund" kid, you have to have a job, a wife that works, or you better be very good!

Big-H

Kid Delicious' story is moving -- at times tragic, heroic and beyond belief. He's part manic depressive, part obese food addict and part ultra-talented pool shark. His dedication to the game gave him solace from a world (New Jersey suburbs) that didn't have much sympathy for a fat, homely, smart-aleck kid with a sharp mind.

Kid Delicious (Danny Basavich) comes to dominate the pool hustling circuit, and you can't help but admire how he pursues/embraces his true love in spite of his profound psychological struggles. His success is a testament to putting everything you have into something you love, and his failures make him human and sympathetic.

If you like books like Playing Off the Rail or Positively Fifth Street, you'll love this one. Wertheim's research is very thorough and he writes like a true billiards fan, with a detailed understanding of the cadences of the game and the sundry characters who populate the dark, dank pool halls across our country.

Danny Basevich's life has certainly been a roller-coaster ride, and Wertheim captures its energy admirably. A phenomenal read.

A good read for players wanting a peak into the recent past of life on the road for money players, and an interesting character study of Kid Delicious. Fun for those who follow the pool scene these days. A revealing picture for those who don't. Doesn't exactly make me want to throw a cue in the trunk and head off for glory.

This is the uplifting "rags to riches" story of the "Minnesota Fats" of our generation. Danny Basavich, aka "Kid Delicious," an overweight slob who, throughout his life was sent in and out of bi-polar depressive tailspins as a result of having been made into a piñata for the bullies in high school. Headed nowhere, and unsure of whom he was, Basavich decided that rather than continuing the daily abuse, to drop out of high school.

With nowhere to go and nothing to do, in order to conquer his depression and remain in denial about his weight, (which had risen to 350 lbs), he began small-scale street hustling that eventually led him to hanging out at the local New Jersey pool halls. There he discovered he had a natural talent for the game of pool. After honing his skills, he teamed up with a young slim good-looking disciplined college dropout and they hit the road together in an effort as much to try to find themselves, as to test their talents, and find their fortune; and if they were lucky, eventually their places in the universe.

The story is about how these two "modern day urban Buccaneers": pals who fed off of each other's strengths and weaknesses, took to the road and tried to corner the under world of amateur U.S. and Canadian pool culture. It is full of colorful events and characters, hustles and scams, hits and misses, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and many boring nights in a lot of Motel 6s in Minnesota and South Dakota -- all gradually leading up to the dramatic crescendo of the book, climbing the mountain to the top of the pool food chain: the nationally televised professional title held in Miami, Florida.

Although along the way, Danny becomes disciplined -- losing 200 pounds and gaining self-confidence and control over his bi-polar tailspins -- his friend, Bristol, is not so lucky. He falls victim to a drug habit, but against great odds, Basavich continues on, alone, to Miami to win the title of "The World Champion of Professional Pool." He does so in a dazzling display of pool skills and finesse, beating the great Buddy Hall in the Miami finals.

It is an uplifting story, but the book is mostly for insiders, for those who know, or at least can appreciate, the fine points of pool and the art of hustling, otherwise the many events in pool halls across the many hick towns of the mid-West and South can seem quite repetitious and boring, and makes the book appear to be straining for sufficient meat to carry a complete story. For sure, there is a beginning and an end to this story, but even for one familiar with the pool milieu, the middle is often uneventful to the point of seeming to drag. Three stars

Simply put, Robert Rummel-Hudson's Schuyler's Monster is a must read for every parent and educator. With raw emotion, he tells the story of his family's journey through the maze of parenting a child who appears perfect and yet somehow, something is not quite right. Rummel-Hudson doesn't hold back, he writes honestly about his wife's and his own efforts and reactions, as well as those of all the professionals that they encounter along the way. In doing so, he has created an accurate picture of the limitations of the medical and educational services available to some. Unfortunately, many people don't even have that.

As a special education teacher for 27 years, I hate to admitted that 30 years after PL 94-142 was passed, we don't have more to offer. Public education will always be a work in progress. Perhaps Schuyler's story will help move that work in the right direction. Which is why you need to read it.

You say your not a nonfiction reader? Never fear, this book reads like a novel. Rummel-Hudson keeps the story moving, making it interesting, entertaining and humorous. Warning! You may just become a dedicated blog reader, so you can keep up with Schuyler's journey.

I couldn't put this book down. I'm pretty picky about what I read and this was a beautifully written story, worth every minute I spent with it.

I found this book in the Black Oak bookstore on a recent day trip to Berkeley with my youngest daughter (the one who was never 100% neurotypical), and it's turned out to be the best possible souvenir of a wonderful day. Unfortunately, thanks to Robert Rummel-Hudson and his improbably funny, engaging style (how many books about neurological disorders and fights with special education administrators can lay claim to having many laugh-out-loud moments??), I've gotten no housework, homework, cooking, cleaning or other reading done in the three days since I acquired the book--and I got a lot of funny looks from the other parents at the neighborhood water park today, as I sat, happily oblivious to the periodic spray of water cannons, laughing wildly like Schuyler over my book while my kids played nearby. Thank goodness the author keeps a blog, so now that I've finished the book I don't really have to say a final goodbye to him or to Schuyler--I can just keep tabs on them periodically, and make sure they're doing okay and continuing to thrive in Plano.

This is a beautifully written story I would recommend to anyone. It had personal meaning to me as I have a child with special needs.

This is a story of tragedy, love and the humorous foibles of life. It is also expertly written, easily approachable and best of all, thoroughly enjoyable.

I initially wondered whether I'd walk away from it more forlorn than uplifted, but that wasn't the case. Schuyler, by simply being her beautiful, innocent self, proves that life does indeed go on, and that although pain might exist, so does joy, gratitude and hope.

Highly, highly recommended.

This book needs to be read by everyone especially by all those over 13. I read it frequently and every time I am more amazed by John's incredible greatness, sacrifice, courage and love of children. I am also very thankful that his family, friends, professional co-workers et.all were there to help him. Even Dr. Johnson contacted medical assistance all over the country to help him. It is more tragic that his form of cancer is now much more treatable. The last line says that Coach Baker turned tragedy into an enduring legacy. Amen! The Duke City Dashers and the children of Aspen were so so blessed by their "Coach Baker." My paperback from 1982 has been replaced by a hardcover. Aspen, by his children was named "John Baker Elementary" in tribute to this great man and their "teacher" Words really can't describe him. I am so thankful that Mr. Buchanan has told all of us the life of one of the greatest people that I have ever known and heard about. Truly, Coach has received in heaven all of the crowns, trophies, medals that the Lord provides to His good and faithful servants!!Five stars all around to everyone involved in John Baker's legacy and William J. Buchanan. Coach Baker's story needs to be told even 38 years later!!

I originally read this book about John Baker's life and impact on young people when I was in grade school. I still had it on my bookshelf when I was in college in 1988. I felt a lump on my testicle and immediately saw a doctor. The diagnosis was malignant testicular cancer, but thanks to God and the fact that I had re-read John Baker's story so many times, I caught it early and am completely cured. John's life continues to have an impact on many people long after his tragic death.

I first read this book when it was passed on to me in high school by a friend. The story of John's life and battle with cancer is something that really makes you put your life in perspective and is truly inspirational. I don't know anyone that has made it through the book without some tears...just reading through the reviews here, I found myself with tears streaming down my cheeks. If each of us could do 1/2 the good in our lifetimes that John Baker did in his that ended much too soon, imagine how much better the world would be.

This true story of a runner and coach tugs at your heart strings. It is so sad , at times I could not see the page because of my tears. Mr. Buchanan does a remarkable job of painting the portrait of this young man's life in a realistic manner. Very well written - THIS WAS A GREAT READ!!!

I was 8 years old when John Baker passed away but, I do remember when they changed the name of the school to honor this hero. This book is chicken soup for the human soul. This book belongs in everyone's personal library and it should be read at least once a year to remind us that every little thing counts.

I bought this months ago and still have it out on my coffee table - that's how much I love this! It is loaded with excellent pictures and makes a great conversation starter when friends and family that come over. The history of the NFL is covered well and the articles offer terrific insights into sports past.

This is a unique, beautifully photographed book! It includes the history of football and large, clear photos of some of the best games! My husband loves it! If you're a football fan, you will treasure this book!

This was the comment of my 7 year old nephew (a Jets fan) when I gave him this book. It has the trademark Sports Illustrated photography, plus lots of old photos showing the infancy of the sport, which are interesting to adults and kids alike. He's a beginning reader, but we enjoyed looking at the pictures, with his guessing which teams were shown based on the uniforms. The Amazon price is a bargain. Highly recommended for boys and fans of all ages!

I bought this book for my 17-yr old who is a visual thinker, not a strong reader, but I loved it too! There are some amazing photos in the book and lots of history of the game and some players. I got a strong sense of the traditions of the game and the excitement for the sport. I am a stronger football fan because of it! I also recommend the rest of this 'series' by Sports Illustrated, The Baseball Book and The Basketball Book.

I got this book for my Dad for xmas & he loved it. It has a lot of great pictures, great articles and goes into the history of football. This is a great gift for older football fans.